Monthly Archive: February 2009

6

When I reached London, K and R had treats for me, and I’d like to spend a minute talking about the amazing food in London. That’s right, I said London. No, I’m not really talking about the food food – you know, the stuff you eat to nourish your body. No, I’m talking about treats. The stuff that normal people with self control eat on occasion, and that I eat daily, if not more often.

The first is the savory, spicy, amazing Walkers Thai Spice Crisps. These are amazing potato chips (a.k.a. crisps). It’s like bar-b-que, but so much more. So much more. There’s a kick, but it’s not so spicy that it burns. And maybe that’s the problem – I could eat a bag in a sitting. Luckily bags over there are smaller, but STILL.

The next is the Kit Kat. Yes, we have those here. And I love them. But they’re made with milk chocolate – respectable, but not fabulous. However, in the UK, they have Kit Kat made with DARK CHOCOLATE. Oh sweetness and light, they are phenomenal. There’s also an orange variety that I still haven’t tried.

After that comes the Cadbury chocolates. In the US, Cadbury is made by either Hershey or Nestle, but in the UK, they’re made by Cadbury. And there’s a difference. That difference? Year-round availability of creme egg filling. They had the actual creme eggs when I was there, since Easter is a mere three months away, but they also have the Cadbury twist bar, with is a milk chocolate bar with creme egg filling. It’s so sweet, and perfect for restoring some of your energy after wandering the streets of London.

Finally, we come to the Jaffa cake. Now, these are available in the US, if you live in a place like Bay Ridge, with a big Irish community and can make it to a specialty grocery store. Paula was kind enough to get me some for my birthday. They sound nasty – stale-ish orange cake, with this quarter-sized orange gelee on top, and 1/2 covered in dark chocolate. But the burst in the mouth? Totally amazing.

Oh, France had good stuff too. But you all know about how amazing their wine, and soup, and pastries and sandwiches are.

3

Friday I hopped onto a red-eye Virgin Atlantic flight from New York City to Heathrow. A 747-400 – man, that is such a hug plane. Two floors. A section called (I kid you not) Upper Class. Fancy pillows and blankets, and a bar you can sit at during the flight. I was in the cattle section, but I had a whole row to myself. I didn’t sleep, but at least I could stretch out.

Kate and Richard met me at Heathrow, and I returned her wooden spoon as requested when she moved. Then we hopped in the car and headed off to Windsor Castle. But first, I was greeted with a goody bag – Walkers Thai Spice Crisps, a Cadbury Twist bar, and JAFFA CAKES.

Windsor Castle is so huge. And interesting. But I have to say something was creepy about the weapons rooms, and all the items that the audio tour euphemistically referred to as having been “acquired” over the years. Or, y’know, pillaged. Stolen. Taken.

After a pub lunch (mmmm, potatoes) we headed back to East London – Isle of Dogs, to be exact. Kate and Richard wouldn’t let me fall asleep, which was great, because if they had, I would have been out. I stayed up until about 10, which kicked me into the London time zone with very little jet lag.

Sunday we were greeted with a lot of rain, so after a quick trip to see the Thames River Flood barrier, we headed into town to see the Natural History Museum. They have great exhibits on the earth – lava, volcanoes, earthquakes, gems. Really cool stuff.

Monday Kate was pretty sick, so we decided to take a trip on a London double-decker bus tour around town. It may be a bit expensive, and kind of cheesy, but I have to say that it really helped me see the city. And with the nuggets of history the tour shares, it gives a great overview.

Monday night we turned in early, because Tuesday was to bring . . . Paris!

3

At 10:30 Kate and I departed from the new London St Pancras train station for a eurostar trip through the chunnel. Wow, the spell-check did not like that sentence. Anyway, we arrived in Paris and navigated the metro system quite simply. It was really easy to get to our hotel in the Marais district. And man, Paris felt like a whole other world. A beautiful, magical world.

Our hotel was quaint, tiny and secluded in the middle of everywhere. And yet – as we learned the first night – not so much off the beaten path. I did not sleep in Paris, and that was not because I was out until dawn. It was because every high heel and vespa traveling down the Rue St-Paul echoed like a shot in a soda can.

After an amazing sandwich (they don’t screw around with bread there) we set off to explore. We walked down to the Ile St-Louis and Ile de Cite, and stopped into Notre Dame. I’ve seen pictures. But seeing it in person – it was amazing. And I am not a religious person, or even someone who necessarily believes in god, but it’s a very interesting and beautiful place. It has an almost inexplicable – essence, I guess. That sounds cheesy, but I hope it gets the point across.

We wandered for about an hour looking for a place to eat, and ended up at a small cafe off the beaten path. The food was not so good, but still the atmosphere was perfect.

Wednesday Kate was not feeling so well, so we decided to do our own things in the morning. I fit a serious amount of sightseeing into one morning. I navigated metro delays to get over to see the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero, and got a great photo. Then I walked up to the Arc D’ Triomphe, and then caught a glimpse of the Champs Elesee (I clearly cannot spell French words). Then another trip on the Metro up to Montmarte.

I hiked up to see Sacre Couer. The view from up there was incredible. Beautiful. The whole city, out there, with that amazing architecture and winding layout. The streets of Montmarte mirrored the city, twisting around, leading to dead ends of French graffiti that was probably saying something lame but, by virtue of being in French, seemed almost sophisticated.

After an hour up there, I headed over to the Louvre, and saw the biggies – Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo. Kate and I were to meet near the pyramid at 1:30, but due to a bit of a time confusion, we met up at 2. We walked more, and settle back into the hotel with amazing chocolates. I stepped out later for my best meal of the trip – french onion soup and a good glass of wine.

Thursday we got breakfast and then split up again to wander – this time I spent most of my time on Ile St-Louis. I hope to stay there the next time I visit Paris. Then, after a bit of an adventure attempting to get to the train station on time, we got out of the City just in time to avoid the labor riots.

I loved Paris. I am already listing out what I want to see when I go back.